For Emma Justine Conley, a junior psychology major, hair color and style has ultimately always been a source for experimentation.

“I’ve been doing it since I was 13,” says Conley. “[Through] trial and error now I’m pretty good at styling hair. Because I started so young and recklessly, I grew up being reckless, until I was good at it.”

Speaking about people’s reactions, Conley adds: “My immediate family members like to make fun of it, most kids my age think it’s really cool and most younger kids think it’s fantastic. The older you get, the less accepting they are of it. I get mixed reactions, I can never know if people think I’m bad at school or something, I’ve gotten weird looks, but then it changes, because they know I’m super studious.”

“Growing up, I always had short hair,” says Damian Hopkins, a sophomore exercise science major. “I wanted to switch it up, I tried to make myself stand out as a person.”

Listing soccer players as a source of inspiration, Hopkins adds: “They all had these unique haircuts that identified them as individuals. I let it grow out and I realized I had curls.”

For anyone looking to use hair to stand out, Hopkins says: “Don’t be discouraged by anyone’s thoughts or their negativity. Be who you are and express yourself through your hair, your clothes, the way you act. You’re your own character, live off that.”

David Nothholt, senior political science major (Meghan Olson/Crescent Magazine)

David Notholt, a senior political science major, wears his hair naturally long and curly.

“I got tired of that [buzzcut]. I wanted something new and I wanted to see what would happen since I’ve never grown it out, and I liked it,” he says. “I’m never going back to a buzzcut, now that I’ve seen it like this.”

He adds: “For guys and girls, if you’ve never grown out your hair before, I recommend just trying it at least once. If you don’t like it, just cut it. It’s just hair.”

A sophomore majoring in special education, Synthia Saulnier colors her hair often, but only with certain tones. Inspired by the look of a recent trend, Saulnier says, she likes mermaid hair.

“It’s always cool colors, never warm,” she says. “Sometimes I change up the colors. Instead of a blue and purple, I do a green and a purple.”

Adding family as a source of inspiration, Saulnier says her sister started dying her hair from a young age so she grew up around it.

For others looking to change their hair, Saulnier says, “Just go with it because it’s a lot of fun.”

Cullan Contos, junior business major (Meghan Olson/Crescent Magazine)

Cullan Contos, a junior business major, plans to mix up style and color solely for himself.

“Whatever I do, I do for me,” says Contos. “It’s a bold statement.”

Sporting dreads in fiery red, he says it has only been that color for a month.

“I don’t care what people say, I want to go silver,” he says.

His inspiration for the red hair and style is from Young Thug, a rapper.

“Honestly just express yourself in any way you see fit,” Contos says. “We’re young now. I get to enjoy what I want to be and who I am, but at some point in society, I’m going to have to confine to certain standards and look a certain way.”